"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder...he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it,rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in." - Rachel Carson

Sarah Sparks. Summarizing research that looks into how young children (ages 3-5) learn, the author reports that providing children with multiple experiences and urging children to generate explanations during those experiences leads to great understanding of relationships and patterns.

Cindy Hoisington. This article describes four distinct areas of science teaching practice, including preparing the classroom environment for inquiry and establishing routines that help children make meaning, facilitating children's open exploration, and promoting children's reflection through representation and conversation. Example scenarios of teacher practice are used as well as examples of challenges that teachers face in each of these areas.

Karen Worth. This paper describes what the nature of science teaching and learning in the early childhood classroom should be and provides a structure for learning through inquiry and criteria for the selection of appropriate content for young children. It concludes with a discussion of implications for the classroom, focusing on child-centered curriculum, the role of materials, the use of time and space, the key role of discussion and representation, and the teacher's role.